On March 2, the Libyan government, following a direct request by Human Rights Watch, released 132 political prisoners, many of whom had been unfairly tried and detained for more than seven years. The prisoners were pardoned five weeks after Human Rights Watch issued a report calling for their release and documenting how the Libyan government, despite making progress on human rights reforms in recent years, continues to commit abuses.
Last year, in our first-ever mission to the country, we documented serious rights violations, including the mistreatment of migrants, severe restrictions on free speech and association, and the detention in “social rehabilitation” facilities of women who are socially ostracized, including women who had been raped. Human Rights Watch will continue to publish more of our findings on Libya in the coming year.
